'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Emmanuel Petit believes Arsenal can beat Real Madrid as long as they can handle the likes of Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe. He added that they need to be at their best in the defensive third and take their opportunity upfront.
The Gunners will host Los Blancos in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, April 8. Petit said to Poker Firma that Arsenal will find it hard as they do not have a striker in the squad., However, he believes that they will get a lot of chances to get past Real Madrid and said via GOAL:
"It's simple. They need to defend well as a unit against Madrid. The likes of Vinicius, Bellingham and Mbappe are players that can hurt you at any time. They have so many top players that can make the difference and they've done it in the past in the Champions League. These are the kinds of players they have to come up against. If they can play as a unit and they can show great character defensively, then they will have a chance. Then they would have to be very clinical. This is something that teams have been struggling with against Real Madrid in the last few years. When opportunity comes, when you have the chance to score, you have to take it."
Trending
"And we all know that Arsenal, at the moment, don't have the striker for that. I've seen so many games over the last few years when Madrid were dominated by opponents. Matches where the opponent were having so many chances to score, and they didn't take it. Real are very clinical all the time, so for me these are the two main things: play strong defensively, show unity, character and personality. But in the meantime, up front, when one opportunity to score comes up, you have to take it."
Arsenal come into the match after a 1-1 draw at Everton in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Real Madrid lost their LaLiga match 2-1 on Saturday after a late comeback by Valencia.
Arsenal face Real Madrid for the 3rd time in Europe
Arsenal and Real Madrid have met twice in Europe – back in the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League in the 2005-06 season. The Gunners won the tie 1-0 after winning 1-0 at Santiago Bernabeu and holding the Spanish side to a goalless draw at home.
Los Blancos have not lost the first leg of their last 8 knockout stage ties in Europe. It is their best run since April 2016 to February 2019, where they went eight matches unbeaten in the first leg.
The Spanish side have played 22 matches against English opponents and have won 11 times. They have lost six of those matches and have drawn the other five.
